A Quiet World
by jazziscool
Summary: Adopted by Vione. Mikan met Natsume when she was six. He wanted Mikan to be with someone normal, not with someone disabled. Or in his case: deaf. With her keen determination, they face life and all it's obstacles.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice. This plot is owned by Vione and its adopted by me.**

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****Dedicated to: **_Yuna-senpai ;)_

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**A Quiet World**

**Original Author: **_Vione_

**Adopted by: **_jazziscool_

**Chapters One and Two were written by Vione. Chapter Three and onwards are written by me. **

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_You are my sunshine,_

_My only sunshine. _

_You make me happy,_

_When skies are gray._

_You'll never know dear,_

_How much I love you._

_So please don't take my sunshine away._

_-You Are My Sunshine by Jimmie Davis_

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**Chapter One**

**Grade One**

"Rise and shine, sweetheart!" Yuka opened the curtain and rays of sunshine poured into the room. Mikan grudgingly opened her eyes; she hated to be woken up.

Yuka sighed, looking at the pouting face of her daughter. Both mother and daughter were exactly alike, with their chestnut hair and hazel cinnamon eyes. Mikan inherited both her mother's thoughtfulness and her father's carefree attitude.

"Mommy, I don't wanna wake up," Mikan whined. Yuka shook her head. She could still remember how much of a hassle it was when Mikan was still around two years old; Mikan would throw a fit if she was woken up. Luckily, Mikan had grown out of her fits as she grew older, but that didn't change the fact that she hated being waken up.

"No, honey. Get dressed now or you'll be late for school," Yuka told her daughter. "I'll see you downstairs in ten minutes, fully dressed." Yuka gave Mikan a sideway glance before getting out of Mikan's room.

Mikan slipped out of her bed begrudgingly and changed out of her bear-motif pajamas into the outfit she and Yuka had lain out the previous night. Mikan loved dressing herself up, she even dreamt of designing her own clothes someday. She dressed herself in a yellow t-shirt with a sunflower print on it and frilly white skirt. She took her bear-shaped backpack and rushed downstairs.

"Good morning to you, mommy, daddy!" she yelled cheerfully, seeing her parents situated around the dining table.

"Morning, darling. Wow, you look beautiful today, ready to knock the one-graders down to their feet?" Yukihira, Mikan's father, joked. He had brown grayish hair and a pair of dark chocolate eyes.

"Daddy, I do not hit people! That's very unladylike," Mikan huffed, putting her hands on her hips. Yukihira laughed, he could still remember the trouble Mikan got herself into on the first day of preschool; she made a kid cry because the kid tried to steal her cookies. He expected as much from her, she was his beloved daughter after all.

"Now, now, sweetie, eat your breakfast now or you'll be late on your first day of school. Come on, it's your favorite chocolate chips pancake," Yuka said, laughing at her daughter's antics.

"Yay! I love you, mommy!" Mikan squealed, taking her seat beside her mother and began munching on her pancakes.

Yuka and Yukihira looked at each other, love and adoration written in their eyes. For both of them, Mikan was the greatest blessing to their life. Their adorable little girl was everything to them, especially since Yuka almost lost Mikan during her pregnancy.

"Mommy! I'm done, let's go to school," Mikan said excitedly, bouncing up and down in her seat.

"Are you excited to make new friends?" Yukihira asked. Mikan nodded enthusiastically. She couldn't wait to meet new people, and she couldn't wait to see Hotaru, her best friend.

Mikan conversed with her father for a few minutes while Yuka loaded the dishwasher. Yuka hated to leave the house in a messy state, talk about OCD. She took her car key from the kitchen counter and said, "Say goodbye to your daddy first."

"Bye, daddy! I love you," Mikan said, kissing him on the cheek. Yuka bade her husband goodbye as well before they proceeded into the car.

Once Mikan was safely seated in the car, Yuka drove towards Alice Elementary School. Mikan played with her cute teddy bear backpack while Yuka focused on the road, trying not to crash into anything. Yuka was a very bad driver, but she refused to acknowledge the fact. She knew she wouldn't crash into anything if she drove in a reasonable speed, so Yukihira had no other choice but let her drive Mikan to school.

Yuka stole a quick glance at Mikan, she was worried about her daughter, considering the trouble Mikan got herself into on the first day of preschool. She knew her daughter wasn't one for violence, but she was still worried. She decided that it was time to take drastic measure.

"Sweetie, I want you to make me a promise," Yuka started as they arrived to Alice Elementary School.

"What is it, mommy?" Mikan asked, her doe brown eyes wide.

"Wait," Yuka grumbled as she concentrated on parking the car without hitting anything. After five minutes, she managed to park the car without any scratch. She smiled proudly at herself. She averted her concentration back to Mikan, sighing when she was greeted with the innocent expression on her daughter's face. How was she going to tell her daughter?

"I want you to promise me not to get into trouble. No fighting at all, do you understand? If I find you in trouble today, I will not let you eat candy for one whole month," she said.

Mikan's eyes widened in shock. Candy was like her life, she wouldn't be able to go through a month without candies. She couldn't really understand why her mother wanted her to make such promise as well, what kind of trouble could she possibly got herself into? "I promise, mom," she said solemnly.

Yuka beamed at her daughter. She hated to threaten her daughter, but she had no other choice if she wanted Mikan to stay out of trouble. Besides, it wasn't like she threatened to spank her daughter, she was only disciplining her. "Good. Let's go, I'm sure Hotaru's excited to see you as well."

Mikan beamed upon the mention of Hotaru's name. She missed Hotaru so much, she couldn't wait to tell Hotaru all about her summer vacation. She loved her best friend to bits, although her best friend had a funny way of showing the same affection.

Yuka unbuckled Mikan's seatbelt and together they marched towards Mikan's classroom, where Hotaru and her mother were waiting in front of the classroom.

"Hotaru!" Mikan squealed and hugged her. Imai Hotaru didn't like to be hugged by anybody, but she couldn't possibly say so in front of her mother, so she just let Mikan hug her. Of course, Mikan knew this and used it to her advantage. Hotaru had definitely rubbed off on her. Yuka and Hotaru's mother exchanged pleasantries while Mikan talked Hotaru's ears off about how much she missed her.

"Mikan," Yuka said slowly. Mikan looked up at her mother. "Remember, no trouble or no candy for one whole month. Now you two go inside and make new friends."

"Okay!" Mikan said cheerfully. Hotaru shook her head on her best friend's enthusiasm. She couldn't understand how someone could be so cheerful on the first day of school.

Mikan took Hotaru's hand and dragged her into the classroom full of kids. Mikan looked around the classroom: there were students playing with each other and some students who were too shy to approach other students. However, she spotted a brown haired boy being bullied by a curly haired girl. She wanted to help the boy, but then she remembered the promise she made to her mother.

Hotaru looked at her best friend, somehow knowing what's going on in her mind. She dragged her to the desk at the back of the class as an attempt to distract her from whatever she was thinking in her head.

The teacher, a blonde man with green eyes, came into the room and clapped his hands, trying to get the class' attention. "Hello, my sweet children! I am Narumi, you homeroom teacher. It's good to see you kids so healthy, now I'll mark your attendances. Raise your hand when I call your name."

He called the students' name on by one, until the class was interrupted by someone opening the door. A beautiful black haired woman stood with her son in front of her. The boy had dark raven hair and crimson eyes just like his mother. Mikan stared in amazement, never had she seen a crimson colored eye before.

The beautiful woman nodded at Narumi as the kid went to sit at the back of the classroom, right beside the window. He took out a book from his backpack and buried his nose in it. The woman whispered something to Narumi as Mikan watched with curious eyes.

"Sakura Mikan." Narumi resumed his previous action after the woman left the classroom.

"Here!" Mikan said, raising her hand. Narumi continued to call the students' names one by one. However, there was one odd thing that Mikan noticed: he didn't call the kid's name.

***

When it was finally lunch time, Mikan sat with Hotaru and her new friends. Mikan had successfully made several new friends due to her cheerful nature. People couldn't help but like her at first sight. Mikan took out her peanut butter and jelly sandwich and began munching on it, looking at her peers. She then noticed the raven haired kid whose name she hadn't managed to find out yet sitting alone in his seat, not even eating.

"Hey, shouldn't we ask him to eat with us?" Mikan asked her friends.

"He's deaf, Mikan." Sumire, her new friend, the curly haired girl, wrinkled her nose in distaste when she looked at Natsume.

"Deaf? He can't talk?" Mikan asked in wonder. Hotaru wanted to roll her eyes at her best friend's stupidity.

"That's mute. Deaf means he can't hear," Koko, the boy who was previously bullied by Sumire, answered. Hotaru glared at Koko for taking her role on explaining things to Mikan.

"What? That means he can't hear us if we call him?" Mikan asked in shock and dared a glance his direction. He looked engrossed in his book, but Mikan wondered if the poor boy was lonely. She pitied him as well; she couldn't imagine how it felt like, not being able to hear anything. "How did you know? Narumi-sensei didn't even tell us his name."

"My mom knows his mom, his name is Natsume, Hyuuga Natsume." Sumire smirked, enjoying the attention she got from her friends.

Mikan continued to look at Natsume, wondering if she should befriend him. She wanted to, but she didn't know how to communicate with him. Should she write it down on a piece of paper? Natsume suddenly looked up from his book and noticed Mikan looking at him. He gave her a sharp glare, causing her to look the other way.

She could feel her heart beating so fast. He looked so scary, so angry, but he looked very sad as well. Right at that moment, she made a promise to herself that she would befriend him, no matter what the consequences would be.

***

Class dragged on, yet Mikan still couldn't talk to Natsume at all. When it was finally time to go home, Mikan saw that Natsume's desk was already empty. She hunched her shoulder, sad that she couldn't befriend him on the first day. Hotaru had left also, saying that her mother told her to hurry up. Mikan couldn't believe that she had nobody to talk to while she waited for her mother to pick her up.

However, when Mikan came out of the classroom, she found Natsume glaring at three third-graders. The third-graders were making fun of Natsume, cackling maniacally. Mikan felt her blood boil seeing them making fun of Natsume. Her mother's words rang in her head, but she shrugged it off.

Mikan pushed one of the third-graders to the floor and glared at the other two. "Stop it! You're so mean!" she shouted.

"What, little girl? You're defending the deaf-mute over here?" one of the guys sneered. His words did it. Mikan punched the guy in his face. The guy staggered backwards, clutching his nose and began crying. Mikan looked proud of her accomplishment and turned around to look at Natsume. She could feel tears building up inside of her when she saw the angered look on his face.

"I–I'm sorry," Mikan mumbled, even though she knew Natsume couldn't hear her. She was wrong about the last part; Natsume could read lips.

"What is all the –" Narumi looked shocked. "Five of you, come with me," he said sternly.

Mikan knew she was going to be in trouble, but all she could think was how much Natsume hated her. Narumi led them into the principal office and Mikan began crying immediately. Natsume looked away all the time while Narumi explained to the parents of the wounded child. Natsume didn't even notice crying, he was busy thinking if going to a public school was the right thing.

He felt someone pat him on the shoulder. It was Kaoru, his mother. She gave him a stern glare and with sign language, told him to apologize and thank Mikan.

Meanwhile, Yuka was very displeased with Mikan's behavior. She knew Mikan did it only to help Natsume, but a promise is still a promise. "Young lady, you do know that you are in big trouble, right?" Yuka asked her daughter sternly. Mikan was still crying, unable to stop her flow of tears.

"B-But, mommy," she hiccupped. She tried to reason with her mother, but then Natsume's angry face came back to her mind. She couldn't stop crying whenever she thought of his face; she wasn't used to being hated by people.

Natsume tapped her on her shoulder and made a motion with his hands, but Mikan didn't understand sign language, so she just stared at him wide-eyed.

"He says: sorry and thank you," Kaoru translated for Mikan. Kaoru smiled at her son; at least he apologized, even though he obviously didn't want to. He made another motion of his hands and Kaoru scoffed. He was telling Mikan that he didn't need her help at all.

"Well, I'm sorry for all the trouble. Thanks for helping my little boy here, Mikan," Kaoru said with a smile. "And Yuka, I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I'm sorry we met under such circumstances, but your daughter is definitely an angel."

Kaoru and Natsume left the office then. Yuka sorted things out with the principal regarding Mikan's punishment. In the end, Mikan wasn't punished by the school at all, due to Yuka's great reasoning. She thanked the principal and went out of the room.

"I know it's not really your fault, but a promise is still a promise," Yuka said half-heartedly. She didn't want to punish Mikan for this, but she was afraid that Mikan couldn't be disciplined if she didn't train her from now. But she won't forbid her from candy for a year; she wasn't _that_ cruel.

"Mommy," Mikan began, "I know you're mad at me. You can forbid me from eating candies for a year, I don't mind."

Yuka was shocked at her daughter's word. Mikan loved candies more than anything in the world, so why the sudden change of heart. "Sweetie, are you okay?"

Mikan shook her head. "Mommy, I want to learn sign language!"

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**Author's note: Yay! First chapter is done! I'm kinda nervous about writting this fic because I've never actually written one before. And I might mess this one up. Oh well. :3**

**I didn't make much changes to this chapter.**

**The song, 'You Are My Sunshine', was stuck in my head while I edited this chapter. I couldn't get it out of my head. But hey--it does foreshadow. XD**

**I would love if any mistakes are pointed out!!! They're my favorite kind of reviews. Constructive criticism is even more than welcomed!**

**If you leave a review, an elf will drop by and give you a cookie! You know you want one~ ;) **

**MERRY CHRISTMAS!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice. This plot is Vione's and I've adopted it.**

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**A Quiet World**

**Original Author: **_Vione_

**Adopted by: **_jazziscool_

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_Super, trouper, lights are gonna blind me,_

_But I won't feel blue._

_Like I always do,_

'_Cause somewhere in the crowd there's you._

_-Super Trouper by Abba_

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**Chapter Two**

Mikan woke up exactly thirty minutes before her alarm clock rang. Her eyes were wide and her lips formed a wide grin. She immediately got out of her bed and skipped to her door. She turned the doorknob and walked out of her room. She stood in front of her parents' bedroom door and pounded on it.

"Mommy! Daddy! Wake up!" Mikan shouted. She received no answer so she knocked even harder. "I wanna go to Natsume's now!"

Yuka and Izumi groaned hearing their daughter's loud voice. Yuka sighed. Her daughter was too perky in the morning. "Yes, yes, why don't you take a shower first, honey?" Yuka yelled back at her daughter.

Mikan shook her head, even though her mother couldn't see it because they were separated by the door. "No! You two will go back to sleep," she protested. She was ecstatic that she was finally able to go to Natsume's house and she wanted to get there as early as possible. She missed him a lot even though it had only been a day since the last time she saw him.

Yuka groaned into her pillow and decided to get out of her bed, not before kicking her husband awake. She walked to the door and opened it. She laughed when she was greeted with the sight of her eight-year-old daughter pouting with her hands on her hips. She looked so adorable.

"See, I'm awake. Now go take a shower and we'll be ready in thirty minutes, okay? Besides, Natsume doesn't like impatient girls," Yuka teased. Mikan's eyes widened slightly due to her mother's comment. She wanted to say something as a comeback, but she refrained from doing so because her mother was right: Natsume didn't like impatient girls, and she wanted Natsume to like her. He was her best friend after all.

She stomped back to her room and rushed to the bathroom, accompanied by Yuka's laughter. Yuka knew her daughter would do anything to make Natsume like her.

Once Mikan finished her shower, she changed into a brown t-shirt and blue skirt then rushed downstairs. Her parents were already sitting around the table, silently eating their breakfast. Mikan took her seat and quickly devoured her waffles. It was odd for her parents not to hear Mikan's comments when waffles were present. Mikan loved waffles, especially when it was topped with strawberries, so why was she so silent?

"Why so sullen, my little princess?" Izumi asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Mikan grimaced. "What if Natsume's parents don't like me?" she asked innocently.

Yuka fell into a fit of laughter while Izumi almost choked on his waffles. Yuka was flabbergasted by her daughter's words, but she found it hilarious. "She's talking like she's going to meet her boyfriend's parents for the first time." Yuka giggled.

"You are too young for that, young lady." Izumi growled. "You're not dating anyone until you're at least thirty. This Natsume fellow is not your boyfriend and it doesn't matter if his parents don't like you." He took a sip of water.

Mikan's eyes widened. "But he's my boyfriend!" Izumi choked on that and nearly spilled the water all over his waffles. "And it does matter!"

"She doesn't know the difference between boy friend and boyfriend, don't worry." Yuka gave her husband a reassuring wink.

Mikan pouted at her father's words. She knew that they were making fun of Natsume and her, but she wasn't sure of it. She pursed her lips then resumed to eating her breakfast. Once she finished her breakfast, she began nagging her parents to hurry up and finish their breakfast. Yuka gave her a hard glare but she didn't seem fazed at all. She wouldn't give up until she got what she wanted, which was to go to Natsume's house.

"Be a dear and shut up for ten minutes or we're not leaving at all," Izumi threatened his daughter. Mikan immediately shut up upon her father's threat.

She sat on the brown cashmere couch in the living room ant tried to be patient by counting from one to one hundred, but she got bored eventually. She took her sketchpad from her bag along with her pencil and began doodling on it. She had a secret smile on her face that let others know that she was enjoying herself very much.

Yuka sat beside her and caressed her hair. "What are you drawing?" Yuka asked in an amused tone.

Mikan grinned cheekily. "See, this is me and Natsume, and the little girl is our future daughter! Her name will be Aiko and this is the big house where we'll be living in," she explained enthusiastically.

Yuka shook her head; Mikan was a bit too innocent for an eight-year-old. Still, she loved that part of her daughter and wished she could stay that way forever. She had grown up so fast, it seemed like it was just yesterday when she started kindergarten and now she was already envisioning her future family.

"Ready to go?" Izumi asked gruffly.

"Yay!" Mikan squealed and jumped to her feet, her sketchbook left behind. Yuka smiled and took the sketchbook, hiding it in a drawer beside the couch. She meant it as a future reference when Mikan and Natsume did get married someday. She smiled proudly to herself before joining her husband and her daughter.

***

The big three-story house stood tall compared to the other houses around it. The dim brown texture of the outer wall was a contrast to the black front door. The color used to paint the house wasn't cheerful at all, which made Mikan let out a heavy sigh. None of the windows were opened and even the blinds were shut. The outlandish house seemed more like a haunted mansion than a house hosting a family of four.

"Kaoru, you're being absurd," a man's voice said from behind the door. The Sakuras stood motionlessly, not quite knowing what to do.

"I am? You're one to speak!" Kaoru shouted. She walked up the door, intending to get some fresh air. Instead, she found the Sakuras standing uncomfortably in front of her door.

"Auntie Kaoru!" Mikan said cheerfully, dissipating the awkward silence.

A middle aged man with brown hair and hazel eyes appeared behind Kaoru. Seeing the man, it was apparent where Natsume got his good looks from. He looked a bit tired, with creases forming on his forehead. He gave the Sakuras the once-over and then offered them a tight smile of acknowledgement.

"So, you're Natsume's father?" Mikan asked.

"Mikan!" Yuka hissed at her daughter's impoliteness.

Naruse, Natsume's father, crouched so that Mikan and he were level. He studied her face intently but she didn't even squirm under his scrutinizing gaze. Instead, she gave him her typical grin which never failed to charm a single person. "Yes, I am. Are you Natsume's friend?" he asked, friendliness coloring his voice.

Mikan beamed. "Yes, I am!"

"Mikan, go ahead to Natsume's room, it's on the second floor, two doors to the right. It's time for the adults to talk," Kaoru said, casting her husband a murderous glare.

Mikan, oblivious to the situation at hand, nodded enthusiastically and practically ran up the stairs. She stopped on her tracks when she saw a big painting in front of Natsume's room. It was a painting of Natsume's family: Natsume, his parents, and his little sister Mikan had yet to meet. Mikan was awed by the beauty of the painting, but soon snapped out of it when she remembered that she had to see Natsume first.

She stood in front of Natsume's door and bounced in anticipation. She knocked on the door, waiting for Natsume to open the door for her. She knocked again, but there was no response. She slapped her forehead in exasperation; Natsume wouldn't be able to hear her knocking the door. She felt stupid for forgetting such a crucial detail. She felt like she was such a bad friend, but she put on her best smile before entering his room, not wanting him to know about her little slip.

Natsume was reading a book on his bed when Mikan entered the room. He couldn't hear her, but he could feel her presence. He took a quick glance at the smiling brunette then got back to his reading.

Mikan sat down on his bed and took in her surroundings. The walls were painted a dark shade of green and there was only one window, near Natsume's bed. There was a walk-in closet and right in front of his bed was a mahogany desk with books and papers scattered all over it. His room was dark; the only light came from the window. She sighed and lay down on the bed, miffed that Natsume was ignoring her for his book. Was his book more important than his best friend?

She poked his rib, but he didn't budge. She poked him continuously until he finally sighed and acknowledged her presence. He gave her an exasperated look. _What do you want?_ He signed.

Mikan sighed. '_You're ignoring me_,' she signed. Mikan had tried her best to learn sign language for the past two years and now she was pretty decent on it, at least she could communicate with Natsume without papers and pens. She gave him her trademark pout which always worked on everybody, except Natsume, of course.

'_I am_,' Natsume signed back and buried his nose in his book again.

Mikan, annoyed by his nonchalant behavior, snatched the book from Natsume. '_I'm here to see you, at least pay attention to me,'_ she signed.

He glared at her. '_Can't you just shut up for one second?'_ He signed.

Mikan huffed. '_It's not like you can hear me!'_

Natsume clenched his fist. Mikan had touched a very touchy subject without realizing it. He struggled to compose himself, not wanting to lose his temper in front of her. '_You're still annoying, so shut up!'_ he signed.

"It's not like you can hear me, moron!" Mikan yelled and stuck out her tongue at him. She didn't wait for his response; she ran out of the room and slammed the door shut.

Natsume sighed. He knew she didn't mean her words, but he couldn't help the hurt in his heart. He knew he couldn't hear her, and perhaps he would never be able to hear her voice at all. He was mad at Mikan, mad that she said something like that to him. He wanted to believe that she didn't mean it, but he couldn't. She might look all innocent, but maybe deep down she was just a big bully and she wanted to humiliate him, or so Natsume thought.

He knew one thing for sure though; he couldn't forgive Mikan for saying that, when she knew about his condition and how touchy that subject was to him. He cursed inwardly, feeling that it was all a big mistake that he let her be his so-called friend in the first place.

He stood up and looked at the door with determination in his eyes. He would ignore Sakura Mikan for the rest of the day.

***

To say that the lunch was tense would be an understatement. Natsume had a permanent scowl etched on his face, so did Mikan. However, Mikan's scowl soon changed into a frown. She wondered what she had done wrong. Sure, she fought with him every day, but not to the point that he ignored her completely. He didn't even acknowledge his presence, which puzzled Mikan so much.

The adults looked at the two kids with concern. It was normal for the two kids to fight, but Mikan looked like she was on the verge of tears. Aoi, Natsume's sister, however, was oblivious to the situation. She kept talking Mikan's ears off about nothing in particular. Mikan and Aoi had met before lunch, and they instantly clicked.

Once Natsume finished his lunch, he quickly went out of the dining room, up to his room. He couldn't bear to see Mikan again; he had this stupid urge to tell her that it was alright, and that she shouldn't cry. He didn't want to do that, so he decided on the second best option: retreating to his room.

When Natsume left, tears fell down from Mikan's eyes. Yuka immediately came to her daughter. "What's wrong, sweetie? Are you having a fight with Natsume?" Yuka asked concernedly.

"I taught him better than this. He should be a gentleman, not acting like a stuck-up brat like that." Kaoru sighed.

"Mikan-nee, are you alright?" Aoi asked. Everybody was concerned for Mikan, except the two adult men who didn't know what to do.

"H-He hates me," Mikan said between sobs. Normally, she wasn't the type of girl who easily cried over fights and whatnot, but this was Natsume who fought with her. Natsume was her best friend, aside from Hotaru, he was very important to her. She just couldn't figure out why he was mad at her.

"No, he doesn't. He doesn't show it, but he is excited that you're coming here today. Can you tell me what happened?" Kaoru asked.

"He ignored me, so I poked him, then he told me to shut up, then-" Mikan gasped, finally realizing her slip from earlier. "I-I told him that he couldn't hear me! I'm such a horrible person!" Mikan said and ran up the stairs, obviously trying to get Natsume to forgive her.

Yuka sighed. "I'm very sorry for her behavior, Kaoru."

Kaoru shook her head. "That's alright, Yuka. Mikan is a sweet girl and it's normal for people to slip once in a while," Kaoru said reassuringly. Yuka hesitated then, she wanted to ask Kaoru a question, but it seemed too inappropriate with Aoi around. Kaoru caught Yuka's glance and quickly understood what she wanted.

"Aoi, why don't you go and play with your dad?" Kaoru said, giving her husband a quick glance. Aoi bounced to his father and together they went to the living room, accompanied by Izumi.

"I'm sorry if this is too personal, but I'm just wondering why –"

Kaoru stopped Yuka. "Nothing is too personal between us now, Yuka. You know very well that you're my best friend now, thanks to your daughter." Kaoru winked. She sat down on the chair and Yuka sat beside her. "Natsume was born deaf due to a miscarriage. We didn't know about the risk, if only we had known, we would have aborted him. But I'm not regretting ever giving birth to him. He is such a wonderful child, although I have to admit that he is very stubborn."

"I wanted him to go to a school for disabled child, so his peers wouldn't mock him, but he wouldn't have any of it. He told me that he could keep up with the normal kids, and he promised he would tell me if they gave him trouble. Well, obviously they did give him trouble, but that was solved by your daughter." Kaoru chuckled.

"He didn't have many friends, not many people want to be with a disabled person. He is always so lonely, and he always acts more mature than kids his age. It pains me to see him that way, Yuka. I'm glad Mikan is there for him though, they're quite a pair. But sometimes I wish I could help him, I wish he weren't born deaf," Kaoru said bitterly.

"Have you considered cochlear implant?" Yuka asked, she had read about it somewhere in a magazine.

"I have, but Natsume refused. He knew the surgery wouldn't fully return his hearing and that he would still have to use hearing aids. I've researched about it as well, and even though the surgery isn't too risky, I just can't imagine them doing that to my son, implanting a device in his ear . . ." Kaoru sighed. "I'm such a bad mother, Yuka. Sometimes, I wish he weren't my son. Isn't that horrible?" Kaoru was on the verge of crying.

Yuka scooted her chair closer to Kaoru and hugged her. "No, Kaoru, you're not. You've done the best you could for him. You've offered him the opportunity to restore his hearing, though only temporary. He made his own choice, Kaoru. And you're just human, it's normal for humans to regret something. Don't worry about it, alright? I'm sure he'll grow up to be a fine man," Yuka said soothingly, rubbing Kaoru's arms. She glanced at the stairs. "And I believe he has a wife-to-be already." Yuka chuckled.

Kaoru chuckled. "You're right. Who knows? Maybe those two might end up together after all."

***

Mikan quickly ran up the stairs and headed to Natsume's room. She had made a very huge mistake and she needed to rectify it fast. She had hurt her best friend badly, she felt very horrible. She quickly opened the door and saw Natsume lying on his bed. She jumped up to his bed and stared at him with her tear-filled eyes.

"I'm so sorry! I am such a moron! I hurt you, right? I'm so sorry, Natsume, I didn't realize I said that. I was being stupid, and you can call me idiot all the time, you can even eat my lunch at school, I'll even do your homework for you. Just please, please, don't be mad at me!" Mikan said frantically.

Natsume blinked, not understanding a single thing she said. She spoke very quickly that Natsume would even have trouble hearing it if he could hear her. He gave her a puzzled stare.

Mikan took a deep breath. '_I'm sorry, I'm really sorry; I didn't mean to say that,'_ she signed. Natsume looked taken aback for a second, but quickly masked it with his nonchalant expression. He had told himself that he couldn't forgive her, but now, seeing her in such a sad state, he couldn't possibly say no to her. He finally had to admit to himself that Sakura Mikan was indeed his best friend and that he cared for her.

'_I'll bring you chocolate cookies next time, I'm sorry,'_ Mikan signed again. She misinterpreted Natsume's silence; she thought he was still mad at her.

Natsume was still silent. He knew he wasn't angry at her anymore, he even doubted if he really was angry at her before. He couldn't be mad at the brunette for long, he grudgingly admit to himself that he had a soft spot for her. He was angrier at himself than with Mikan, he was angry that he couldn't be a normal friend to her due to his impaired hearing.

'_I'm really sorry,' _Mikan signed again. When Natsume didn't even react, she turned around and got ready to get up from his bed. She was sad that Natsume didn't forgive her. She would try again later; she knew Natsume wanted to be alone now. Natsume tugged on her shirt and she turned around to look at Natsume. He was smiling slightly, and then he signed, _Idiot._

Mikan grinned. Her best friend forgave her, and for the first time, he smiled at her. _You smiled!_ Mikan signed. Natsume's face immediately changed into a scowl.

'_I didn't,'_ Natsume objected.

Mikan didn't care if he didn't want to admit it, she was very sure that he smiled. She had a goofy smile on her face, and she was almost bouncing on the bed. She lunged at him and engulfed him in a big hug. Natsume hesitated at first, but then he reciprocated the hug.

At that moment, with her hugging him, he didn't feel like he was the deaf kid who was constantly mocked, he was just Hyuuga Natsume, and for the very first time, he felt very normal.

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**Author's Note: I only changed some grammar mistakes in this chapter. Other than that, I think it's perfect the way it is.**

**Chapter Three coming soon. **

-Liz


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Guess what?! Pigs can fly and I own Gakuen Alice! NOT! Fooled ya there for a sec, didn't I? ;) The Higuchi guy owns it. :D This plot is owned by Vione, and adopted by yours truly. **

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**Dedication: Dedicated to Annabel (Cookie Craze). It's your late Christmas gift, sweetie! Enjoy. ;)**

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**Special thanks to IndigoGrapefruit for beta reading this chapter! :DDD You were very helpful!**

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**A Quiet World **

**Original Author: **_Vione_

**Adopted by: **_jazziscool_

**Chapter Three **

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_I'll stop the world and melt with you,_

_You've seen the difference and it's getting better all the time._

_There's nothing you and I won't do,_

_I'll stop the world and melt with you._

_-__I'll Melt with You by Modern English_

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"Honey, it's time to go!"

Yuka poked her head into Mikan's room and watched as her daughter put a bright blue object inside her bunny-shaped travel backpack. Natsume had given Mikan that backpack as a Christmas gift; he had tried to cover his blushing face with his hair while Mikan had glomped him with hugs and cute, bright smiles worth patenting.

"Okay, mommy! I really can't wait to go camping!" Mikan exclaimed cheerfully.

She wore an adorable frilly orange dress and had yellow flower-shaped barrettes in her auburn hair. Mikan had stayed up all night in anticipation and there was a hint of weariness in her eyes. Yuka gave a small smile, knowing her daughter would eventually drift off to sleep in the car.

As the pair went down the stairs and entered the living room, Izumi came into the house. He had finally packed the mountain of luggage in their SUV. "Sorry kiddo, but looks like Hyuugas can't make it after all."

Mikan's face dropped in utter disappointment.

Seeing his daughter's heartbroken face, Izumi rushed to pacify her. "But I talked to them and we decided that we'll pick up Natsume on our way to the resort."

Yuka and Izumi watched as their 10-year-old daughter's face brightened. "We get to pick Nat-chan up?!" Mikan squealed in disbelief.

Mikan had grown especially attached to Natsume over years; much to their annoyance, Yuka and Kaoru would always joke that the pair would get married some day.

***

"Yuka, darling, how are you? I'm so sorry we couldn't make it. Aoi's teacher suddenly called-," explained Kaoru.

"Oh no, don't worry about it! It's fine, it's fine," interrupted Yuka before launching off on a conversation about the book club's latest challenge. They had joined together in hopes of finding a useful and bonding way to spend their free time.

They were all standing outside Natsume's house. Natsume was wearing a casual blue shirt and khaki shorts. He held his backpack over one shoulder and was blandly staring at Mikan. His backpack appeared to be bulky and his luggage was already inside the car. Izumi had muttered profanities under his breath while shoving the bag in an attempt to get it to fit inside with all the other bags.

As the mothers conversed, Mikan gave Natsume a joyful smile. '_Goodmornin' Nat-chan! I'm so excited!' _Mikan signed happily. She was able to shorten the amount of time it took to make the hand gestures by simultaneously using facial expressions and body language. She could also express herself without having to make signs for every single little thing she wanted to tell him.

Natsume gave her an amused glance. '_Mornin', little girl,' _he gestured. '_You're way too excited in the morning to be a normal person. And what kind of moron are you to call me "Nat-chan"?' _He enjoyed teasing Mikan at every opportunity. Her reactions were comical, and though no one could see it, they usually brought smiles to his face.

Mikan huffed. _What's that supposed to mean? _She closed her eyes and childishly poked her tongue out. Natsume recalled how Mikan made him less anti-social and less uptight. Though he wouldn't admit, she was his blinding light. Because of her, he didn't think about his deafness every waking moment of the day.

Natsume gave her a coy smile; '_Only an idi-,' _he signed.

"Alright! Time to go. We don't want to be late," interrupted Yuka, before giving her last goodbyes to Kaoru and headed towards the car.

Kaoru signed to her son, '_Take care and have fun, darling!' _She leaned down and gave him a kiss on his cheeks. She crouched down so that her face was level to Natsume's. She placed her hands on his face and pulled his cheeks before giving him a wink.

Natsume glared at his mother with an annoyed look and slapped his mother's hands away from his face. She couldn't resist teasing him, even though she knew it got on his nerves. He was just too cute to resist.

Kaoru gave a whole hearty laugh at Natsume's antics; she knew he was embarrassed she was doing this in front on Mikan. Mikan snickered and fortunately for her, Natsume didn't see.

"Don't worry! We'll take care of Natty!" Mikan brightly called out to Kaoru before she took Natsume's hand and promptly dragged him to the car.

'_What did you just say to my mom?' _Signed Natsume.

Mikan grinned sheepishly. She knew he'd scoff at her if she told him the truth.

'_Nothing much._ _I just said we'll have lots of fun!' _Mikan grinned. Natsume gave her a disbelieving look telling her he wasn't fooled. '_It's true!' _Insisted Mikan.

***

After a while, fatigued overcame Mikan's body. Mikan's eyes gradually began to droop and she fell asleep. Her head dropped to the side and landed on Natsume's shoulder. Natsume, feeling the sudden weight on his shoulder, turned his head a saw Mikan's head on his should, her lips slightly parted. He gave a tender, small smile as he stared affectionately at the brunette.

Yuka and Izumi exchanged knowing smiles when they glanced at the pair through the mirror.

***

Mikan skipped towards the clearing, her eyes shining with enthusiasm. She looked around and saw tall lush trees extending into a forest. The day was bright. Birds were chirping, and Mikan could've sworn she saw a bunny peek at her behind a bush.

She suddenly felt a tug at her hair and turned around to see Natsume.

He raised his eyebrows and signed, '_what're you drooling at, idiot?'_

'_Bleh. I'm just looking at this beautiful scene, short-brows!' _Contrary to her beliefs at first, it was easy to throw insults in sign language. Mikan pouted and made faces at him.

Natsume twitched. He hated it when she made fun of his eyebrows. _They are not short, thank you very much_, he thought. He glared at her and signed, '_You're one to talk! What kind of moron wears pig-tails?" _He chuckled. '_Well, the word certainly fits you; you eat like a PIG.'_

"I do NOT eat like a pig!" Mikan screeched at Natsume before realizing he couldn't hear her. She just fumed and walked away as Natsume snickered behind her back.

***

The night had grown dark when they were all sitting around the camp fire making smores and toasting marshmallows. Yuka and Izumi were tired after setting up the tent. They only had three tents and one of them a hole in it; and so it was decide that Yuka and Izumi would share a tent while Mikan and Natsume shared the other.

The fire's crackling gave a cozy feeling and the heat emitting from the fire was comforting. They'd spent the day setting up their camp and hiking through the woods. Although their bodies were sore, they had enjoyed observing the wildlife. The unpolluted air of the forest was crisp and they found it quite enjoyable.

'_Natsume, I think we should make a canopy in the trees tomorrow! It would be so cool if we could sleep on it during the night!' _Mikan signed excitedly.

'_Pfft. What if it rains, little girl? And what if an animal attacks us in the middle of the night?' _Natsume slyly signed. Mikan's eyes grew wide as she considered his notion; she didn't even catch that he'd called her a little girl. Even though she had known him for so long, she was still wasn't accustomed to his teasing; it didn't help that she was a naïve innocent girl._ I'll have to keep an eye on her as we grow older, _thought Natsume.

"I think it's time to hit the sacks, yes?" Izumi finally said after the long day. While he spoke, Mikan made hand signs for Natsume telling him what he just said.

***

Mikan gasped as she awoke. She had a scary dream where a bear was about to jump at her. She glanced to her right and saw Natsume was fast asleep. She studied his face and blushed as she noticed his innocent expression. He acted tough, but she knew deep down, he was a boy who was defenseless. She tried to go back to sleep, but the bear's ferocious expression haunted her sight. She decided nothing would be better than to get some fresh air outside.

As she silently tip-toed out of the tent and stood up, she noticed the full moon's illumination. It shined on the clearing, yet it gave a foreboding feeling. Telling herself she was silly for feeling scared, Mikan walked a few yards away from the tents and moved closer to the woods until she was standing just in front of the woods. She leaned forward and peered in, as if trying to see what was inside. _Funny, _she thought, _it wasn't this scary earlier when we were hiking. _A bright light flashed.

Wondering what the bright light was, Mikan walked into the woods, heading towards it. Suddenly the light disappeared, and darkness overcame the woods. Mikan's heart accelerated. A heavy, eerie silence overwhelmed the area; she was starting to panic.

_Snap!_

Hearing the sudden noise was the last straw for Mikan; she ran, desperate to get back to the tents.

She looked over her shoulder while she ran, frantically wondering if the noise was following her, when she suddenly bump into something. She fell to the ground and moaned when she notice the thing she'd bumped into was also on the ground;

"Natsume?!! What're you doing here." Mikan yelled in surprise. Her voice echoed through the woods. She slapped her hand on her forehead when she remembered he couldn't hear her. She saw him make a quick and urgent motion with his hands, but it was too dark for her to clearly see. His face was troubled and though it was hard to see, she thought there was a glimpse of horror in his eyes.

Realizing she couldn't understand him, Natsume picked himself up and took Mikan's arm. He pulled her up and tugged her towards where he knew the tents were. However, Mikan thought otherwise and tried to pull _him _in the opposite direction.

In the middle of their exchange, Natsume suddenly stiffened. Mikan was still tugging at him when she noticed his state. Natsume wildly turned his head towards Mikan and she noticed the alarm in his eyes. He roughly grabbed her hand and started running for dear life.

Mikan kept stumbling over rocks and she narrowly avoided clashing head-on with trees. After a few seconds, Mikan looked over her shoulder and was greeted with the sight of a towering bear chasing them. He had brown fur and Mikan reckoned he had the bulkiest body she'd ever laid eyes on.

She was utterly terrified to death and after she'd gotten over her initial, two-second shock, she let out a blood curling scream.

Natsume kept his hand tight on Mikan's hand and ran as fast he could without dragging her. Natsume realized that even if they arrived at the tents, the bear would still follow them. It would just endanger Yuka and Izumi's lives.

He came to an abrupt stop. He knew he only had a few seconds. He let go of Mikan's hand and picked up a heavy looking rock on the ground. He threw it at the bear with all his might. It hit the bear smack-dab in the middle of the eye; the bear let out a ghastly roar in pain.

Natsume took the opportunity to grab Mikan's hand once again, and he ran like there was no tomorrow. Their faces were filled with sweat and they were panting as they run. They saw the clearing and broke into sprint.

They finally broke through the woods and glanced behind them relived the bear was not following them.

As they stood there panting from the long sprint, Mikan burst into tears. She had never been so scared all her life. Unsure of what to do, Natsume took her in his arms. He gently patted the brunette's hair, sympathizing with the terrible experience they'd gone through. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, not wanting to let go. Although she'd been scared, she felt the security in his hands as she held them while she was running away for her life.

His body was warm, and he his arms created what felt like a safe haven for her. No words were needed. At that moment, nothing mattered. They felt secure in each other's embrace.

**End of chapter.**

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**A/N: **Smores are traditional snacks people make when camping. It's basically toasted marshmallow and chocolate in between crackers.

Cute scene, but I had to take it out: ---- Soon enough, Natsume was also asleep; his head also dropped to the side. And while Mikan's head was on his shoulder, Natsume's head bonked with hers. ----

I can't think up of another word for "signed". Darn it. :(

Every time you review, a Smurf starts to sing. You wanna hear a singing Smurf? Then review, of course! Plus, the more reviews there are, the more likely I'll update faster!

-Liz


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